3-year STEM programme for secondary school students launched by NIE and Temasek Foundation

A three-year continual programme to boost students’ STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning in schools and workplaces was launched on Wednesday (Mar 15), as part of a partnership between the National Institute of Education (NIE) and the Temasek Foundation.

Named the “Systemic Design of STEM Programme in Singapore”, the learning programme aims to provide students with authentic resources and learning opportunities to improve on their STEM knowledge that can be readily applied outside of their classrooms.

Teo Tang Wee, Associate Professor and co-head of meriSTEM@NIE, shared that the programme would “aim to build a model of partnership that is sustainable in promoting STEM capital building for Singapore students”.

Seven schools will enroll selected Secondary Three students into the programme, where they will be taught by STEM education and industry experts about how to develop their STEM competencies over the course of their secondary to post-secondary journeys.

The seven schools involved include Changkat Changi Secondary School, Damai Secondary School, Dunman Secondary School, East Spring Secondary School, Loyang View Secondary School, Ngee Ann Secondary School and Tampines Secondary School.

Enrolled students will be given opportunities to connect and work with different industries and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) such as Temasek Polytechnic, ITE College East and Singapore University of Technology Design (SUTD). 

According to NIE and Temasek Foundation, the students may make use of their STEM knowledge gained through internships and work attachments to deepen their programme progression, as well as to increase their STEM competencies over the years.

Students enrolled in the programme are expected to apply and also acquire more essential STEM competencies, such as content knowledge, meta knowledge and humanistic knowledge. By the end of the programme, the students are expected to be proficient in critical thinking and problem solving skills, and to have attained high levels of creativity and social empathy. 

Such skills and knowledge could prove useful in the workforce once the STEM learning programme concludes after their post secondary education, which is something that Temasek Foundation’s senior director Mr Stanley Lee believes in.

“Every student should have access to quality STEM education that can prepare them for the future workplace. With this systematic STEM programme, we are supporting a collective and holistic STEM learning pathway for students’ learning,” Mr Lee explained.

“We have confidence that these core STEM competencies can help learners succeed in the workforce of the future,” he added.